This application relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to electrical connectors with polarization keying.
Electrical connectors are manufactured in many different voltage ratings. Connecting male and female connectors having different voltage ratings from one another can seriously damage equipment or injure a person making such connection. Therefore, keys are commonly provided for preventing connection of male and female connectors having different voltage ratings. Such arrangement for preventing connection of male and female connectors having different voltage ratings is commonly referred to as polarizing, and connectors having such keying are often referred to as polarized connectors.
Polarized connectors of the type described have used the male and female grounding terminals as the means of polarizing. This is normally accomplished by the use of special cross-sectional shapes for such grounding terminals, such as L, J or U.
Other polarized connectors have keys which are separate from grounding terminals and such keys are located in different rotated positions for connectors having different voltage ratings. Having the polarization keying separate from the grounding terminals makes the connectors expensive to manufacture, and the male or female connector can be used only with another special male or female connector.
Many electrical connectors in use do not have any polarization keying. In changing over from connectors which do not have polarization keying, it is desirable that the changeover be accomplished in such a manner that plugs on existing equipment can be used with a new polarized socket. With such an arrangement, plugs on existing equipment and fixtures could be phased-out over a period of time without requiring great expense to immediately replace them.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical connector having polarization keying.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a connector wherein existing male connectors can be used with a polarized female connector constructed in accordance with the invention.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a polarized electrical connector which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and simple to install and maintain.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a polarized connector which is very easy to understand by users in the field.